Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Suginami-ku

For one person, living is cheaper in Suginami-ku: $1,256 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Suginami-ku
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Suginami-ku Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Suginami-ku

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tokyo and in Suginami-ku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,663 per month in Tokyo vs $1,256 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Tokyo $1,663
Suginami-ku $1,256

A couple spends around $2,592 per month in Tokyo vs $1,994 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Tokyo $2,592
Suginami-ku $1,994

A family of three spends $3,521 per month in Tokyo vs $2,732 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Tokyo $3,521
Suginami-ku $2,732

Tokyo costs about 32% more than Suginami-ku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 23% above the global median, while Suginami-ku is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ¥1,180

$6.34 ¥1,002

17.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.48 ¥5,921

$40.62 ¥6,418

-7.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.12 ¥810

-4.30%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ¥571

$3.47 ¥548

4.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥262

$1.05 ¥166

58.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥133

$0.78 ¥124

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥582

$2.56 ¥404

44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 ¥829

$3.18 ¥503

64.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.44 ¥227

3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥276

$1.70 ¥269

2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$3.65 ¥576

54.25%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥348

$1.97 ¥312

11.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,767

$10.52 ¥1,661

6.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 ¥1,081

$5.99 ¥946

14.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 ¥2,624

$14.18 ¥2,241

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥759

$5.81 ¥917

-17.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ¥354

$2.75 ¥434

-18.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 ¥666

$2.80 ¥442

50.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 ¥821

$4.08 ¥645

27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.65 ¥418

24.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ¥481

$2.64 ¥416

15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥188

$1.23 ¥194

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥129

$0.81 ¥128

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ¥619

$3.82 ¥604

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,524

$6.48 ¥1,024

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥258

$1.79 ¥283

-8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ¥426

$2.03 ¥320

33.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.39 ¥219

-10.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 ¥10.1K

$46.37 ¥7,326

37.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$3.21 ¥508

-2.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.76 ¥435

16.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$20.79 ¥3,285

-10.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.11 ¥175

-5.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.0K ¥3.3M

2.67%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$18.1K ¥2.9M

-16.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$149 ¥23.5K

$130 ¥20.6K

13.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.59 ¥3,412

$23.89 ¥3,774

-9.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 ¥4,837

$31.49 ¥4,974

-2.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 ¥10.5K

$58.1 ¥9,175

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 ¥2,004

$12.85 ¥2,030

-1.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,350 ¥213.3K

$631 ¥99.7K

114.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

20.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 ¥8,853

$61.4 ¥9,697

-8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.14 ¥5,236

$36.64 ¥5,789

-9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 ¥10.2K

$60.3 ¥9,528

6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ¥11.1K

$102 ¥16.1K

-31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ¥197.9K

$477 ¥75.3K

162.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 ¥110.6K

$377 ¥59.6K

85.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 ¥395.3K

$979 ¥154.7K

155.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 ¥225.9K

$803 ¥126.9K

77.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,428 ¥1.5M

$4,685 ¥740.1K

101.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,236 ¥669.3K

$1,700 ¥268.6K

149.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥473.7K

$2,799 ¥442.2K

7.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

12.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$700 42.1%

Suginami-ku

$377 30% 46.1% $323

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Suginami-ku

$289 23% 11.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.1%

Suginami-ku

$186 14.8% 7.4% $15

Eating Out

Tokyo

$157 9.4%

Suginami-ku

$134 10.7% 14.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6.1%

Suginami-ku

$117 9.3% 16.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.5%

Suginami-ku

$84 6.7% 9% $8.3

Getting Around

Tokyo

$88 5.3%

Suginami-ku

$69 5.5% 21.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,253 in Tokyo versus $477 in Suginami-ku. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Tokyo versus $41.00 in Suginami-ku. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Tokyo vs $289 in Suginami-ku – so Suginami-ku wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Suginami-ku

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

540,180

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 32% more than Suginami-ku, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,495 per month in Tokyo and $1,884 in Suginami-ku. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suginami-ku, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Suginami-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,350 per month in Tokyo and $631 in Suginami-ku. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suginami-ku, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Suginami-ku it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Suginami-ku costs $1,256 versus $1,663 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Suginami-ku. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.